Thumbs up: Breathing easy in Sonoma County

Take a deep breath, Sonoma County.

Now take a bow. For the fourth straight year, the American Lung Association has rated Sonoma County at the top of its national air quality list. As Staff Writer Guy Kovner reported, the county received “A” grades for going through 2016 without a single day of ozone or particle pollution exceeding federal standards. “You can’t have a better outcome than that,” said Will Barrett, a Sacramento- based senior planning analyst for the lung association.

The high marks are especially welcome at a time when the new administration in Washington has given a low priority to clean air and other environmental standards.

Sonoma County is blessed with prevailing winds that promote clean air, but residents also have been early adopters of hybrid vehicles and other new technologies that reduce emissions.

Most Californians aren’t so lucky. According to the lung association, 35 million people - almost 90 percent of the state’s residents - live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.

If you’re so inclined, toast your good fortune with another local No. 1, as Santa Rosa landed on top of a new list of the best microbrew cities in the country.